In the quiet cornish country village of Grampound Road, there is an old beamed pub called the "Four Burrows" run by Mike and Lee Clark and on one late summers lunch time in 1977 the stillness of this picturesque country scene was shattered by the roar of dozens of motorbikes. Alighting from these came the most colourful array of people you have ever seen. No it was not a fancy dress festival , but a collection of dedicated "Rock n' Roll" fans from all over the west country.
Suddenly 1977 became 1957, they were of all ages, daughters came with mothers, sons came with dads and teds came with drapes, drain pipes, string ties, combs and either winkle pickers or thick crepe soled shoes. They had all come to see and hear the latest explosion on the Rock n Roll scene - SHADES!
Shades started as an accident. All four members of the band were playing in different groups at the time and all found that they had Wednesday nights free. After seeing in a local paper an advert for a jam session on Wednesday nights at the Four Burrows, they decided to go along and join in. When the four of these got together, they discovered that they all had one thing in common .... their enthusiasm and love for Rock n Roll.
They worked hard on Wednesday nights to obtain and retain the authentic sound of the period , so to improve their Wednesday nights, they rehearsed sunday lunch times at the Four Burrows.
Within a matter of weeks it became apparent to Lee Clark of the Four Burrows that both Wednesdays and Sundays were no longer jam sessions and rehearsals but full scale events. The doors were having to be closed not long after opening time as no more people could get in.
At this time an experienced London agent and ex record company executive Barry Bethell had moved to Cornwall looking for fresh talent. Lee contacted him and invited him and invited him along to a sunday lunchtime gig. He was so impressed that he offered them a contract there and then and the band agreed to go out full time under the name of SHADES.
Their first official gig was at a nightclub in Falmouth called SHADES, on October 3rd 1977. They worked six nights a week from then on, pushing audiences to capacity wherever they went.
Barry Bethel 1977
Suddenly 1977 became 1957, they were of all ages, daughters came with mothers, sons came with dads and teds came with drapes, drain pipes, string ties, combs and either winkle pickers or thick crepe soled shoes. They had all come to see and hear the latest explosion on the Rock n Roll scene - SHADES!
Shades started as an accident. All four members of the band were playing in different groups at the time and all found that they had Wednesday nights free. After seeing in a local paper an advert for a jam session on Wednesday nights at the Four Burrows, they decided to go along and join in. When the four of these got together, they discovered that they all had one thing in common .... their enthusiasm and love for Rock n Roll.
They worked hard on Wednesday nights to obtain and retain the authentic sound of the period , so to improve their Wednesday nights, they rehearsed sunday lunch times at the Four Burrows.
Within a matter of weeks it became apparent to Lee Clark of the Four Burrows that both Wednesdays and Sundays were no longer jam sessions and rehearsals but full scale events. The doors were having to be closed not long after opening time as no more people could get in.
At this time an experienced London agent and ex record company executive Barry Bethell had moved to Cornwall looking for fresh talent. Lee contacted him and invited him and invited him along to a sunday lunchtime gig. He was so impressed that he offered them a contract there and then and the band agreed to go out full time under the name of SHADES.
Their first official gig was at a nightclub in Falmouth called SHADES, on October 3rd 1977. They worked six nights a week from then on, pushing audiences to capacity wherever they went.
Barry Bethel 1977
Cornish Guardian 1977
